Surreal Football

Moments moments moments

Life happens in moments, and moments don’t care what time it is or whether it’s a good idea or not, or who’s going to be there. Moments can take you by surprise. And are always better when they’re shared. Moments don’t care if you’ve never done this before, or if it’s something you may never do again.  They can happen at any time, anywhere. Some moments are hidden away, and some are just waiting for you to arrive. The only thing that moments do care about is that you show up and make them happen.

Well, apparently. Except I showed up for my “moment” last month and she didn’t. I’d dressed up for the whole thing – jumper and jeans! Jumper and jeans! – and even rehearsed a few things to talk about – “Yes, I like that kind of cheese also,” I imagined I’d say, suavely. It would’ve sounded better on the day. I’d prepared a joke too. But there I was, at 4.45 in the Dudley Showcase car park, wearing a sleek jumper and jean combo, and there she wasn’t.

A simple mistake? Yes, as it turned out. Surprise, surprise, at 4.50 there my moment was, smiling – as you would, being greeted by a man – well, partial boy – so clearly at the top of his game as me. We had a great evening: I did jokes and things. And I haven’t looked for another moment since. I wouldn’t call myself happily momented, because that’s not a thing, but I am something like that.

The other day I sat with a Bud, talking about this whole thing with some friends. I say “friends”, but I actually mean “people I made up,” and I say “Bud” when I mean nothing, but the rest of the real scene was similar in that I was there. I spoke about how my moment didn’t ever care what time it was and how that has caused some problems with her being late to work. I mentioned that my moment didn’t care who was going to be at places and how, occasionally, that came across as a little self-centred but I was worried about telling her. I also said that my moment can “happen” any time or anywhere, which really makes her difficult to be around a lot of the time.

Eventually I came around to how my moment sometimes surprised me. I said how she thought it was quite funny to punch me in the face when I hadn’t seen or heard her come into a room. Which is a bit nasty.

Moments: can’t live with ‘em, can’t live without ‘em, eh? Moments moments moments moments moments moments moments moments moments moments moments moments moments moments moments moments moments moments moments moments moments moments moments moments moments moments moments moments moments moments moments moments moments moments.